Fish-grapple.



Patented Apr. `2, |901.

J. P. PENNCK;

FISH GRAPH-E.

'(Applimion med mf. as, lsoon (No M'odel.)

ATTURNEYS.

UNITE Ares ArtNr y Fries.

JAMES P. PENNOOK, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

FISH-GRAPPLE.

`Sl?:ECIICH-LTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,294, dated April 2, 1901.

Application led October 29, 1900. Serial No. 34,694. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom zit .may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES P. PnNNooK, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in 1 `ish-Grrapples,V of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in sh-grapples, the object being to provide a simple and practical device for catching fish which is positive and substantially automatic in action when closed upon a fish; and to this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the component parts of a fish-grappling device, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figures. 1 and 2 are face views of my invention, the jaws being shown in their closed position in Fig. 1 and in their open position in Fig. 2. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 3 3 and 4 4, Fig. l, and 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged inner face view of the adjacent ends of the toggle-links connecting the jaws of my improved grapple. Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on line 7 7, Fig. 6.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

This invention consists, essentially, of a support 1, oppositely-arranged jaws 2, pivotally connected to the support 1, operating mechanism for opening the jaws, means for holding the jaws in their open position, and additional means for automatically closing the jaws.

The support 1 may be of any desired form, size, or construction for supporting the jaws and the various mechanisms of my invention and preferably consists of a l,metallic shank formed of steel or other equivalent material and having one end` provided with laterallyextending ears 3 and its opposite end threaded for receiving and engaging the threaded handle 4. The intermediate portion of the supthe adjacent portions of the jaws, also presently described, and are formed with apertures for receiving pivotal pins 7, which serve to secure the jaws in position. The jaws 2 may also be of any desired form or construction and preferably consist of metallic arms having their intermediate portions arranged in the slots 6 of the support l and provided with apertures for receiving the pivotal pins 7, previously mentioned. These jaws extend in opposite directions from the pivotal pins 7 for forming oppositely-arranged arms 8 and 9, the arms 8 being connected to a suitable operating member, hereinafter described, and the arms 9 are usually arranged at an angle with the arms 8 and are provided with spurs l0, projecting inwardly from their inner faces. These arms 9 are usually curved utwardly from their opposite ends, and their free extremities are adapted to contact with eachother for forming a suitable stop and limiting the inward movement of the jaws toward each other. The intermediate or outwardly-.curved portions of the arms 9 are provided with recesses or slots extending inwardly from their adjacent faces for receiving and supporting the opposite ends of the toggle-links, presently described, and permitting the same to be folded upon the inner faces of the jaws when the same are moved toward each other. It is thus apparent that by curving the arms 9 outwardly in opposite directions from their opposite ends the same are made to conform more closely to the shape of the fish, and their free ends being arranged in closer proximity to each other when in the act of grappling the fish it is evident that the liability of release or escape of the sh is reduced to a minimum.

The spurs 10, as previously stated, project inwardly from the inner faces of the arms 9 and may be secured to said arms in any desired manner, preferably by providing the arms with threaded apertures and the spurs with threaded shanks, which are screwed into theapertures and then riveted or upset at their outer ends for positively securing the spursinposition. Anynumberofthesespurs may be secured to the arms 9 and when placed in proximity to the free ends of the arms are generally arranged in staggered relation to QMO IOO

sus

The operating mechanism previously describedfor moving the jaws to their open p0- sition may also be of any desired construction, but preferably consists of a lever'l2, "pdv- A otally connected to the support 1, and is preferably provided with an aperture alined with l the aperture 5 in the support 1 and is held in position by the pivot-al pin 13, passed through the aperture in the-leverandvsup'port and'having one end provided with a head engaged with the outer face of the lever and its other end extended beyond the support 1 and provided with anadjustable shoulder 14afnd :a spring 15, interposed lbetweensaid @shoulder and the adjacent face of the support 1'for holding the lever 1'2 in frictionaleng'agemeiit with the-opposite face of the 'support :1.

`'Secured to the lever Y12, at op'p'esitesides of the pivot l13, 'are suitable Mstuds t1h,"co'n-'fnected to'which are'oppositelyLai'rangedflinks 1'7 ,h'aving-their outerends'pivotally connected at 18 to the adjacent free `endsfof fthe ar'm'sSf'aind their rinnerends formedwith 'slots 19, *wfhifch receive the proj ecti'ngstnds l16 andfpermit'the 3 vlever 12 to be `moved 'to Vits 'normal inope'ra tive @positionwhen 'the jaws are open.

IDthe-operationfof opening the jawstth'eflever 12 is moved inthe direction i-ndicated'fby thejarrow a. 'The studs 16 Iengage the `o utel end walls of the-slots 17 ,'thereby'd1awix1gthe free ends of Tthe arms Sito-ward each'otheran forcing 'the {arm-s v9 away ffromyeaeh other, whereupon the free ends A"of the jaws tnay ibe automatically llocked bylany desired nreains. This `means preferably consists h*of a "toggle connection 20, lhaving lthe outer iends of fits opposite links pivotallyeoiin'ected:to thelinj preferably arranged 'within recesses or y"slc'its 21,"previonslymentioned Theadja'centends ofthe toggle links ora'rms are hingedt'o each ders 22, one-of'said 'shouldersbei'n'g'provided with a 'threaded aperture :for receiving threaded adj u'stinjg-screw V23, one end of which i is adapted to'engagetheshoulderof the "opsaid toggle-links't'oth'e'arms 9.

li'mitingthe inner Arnov'em'en'tfof the arm's`9,

and thereby relievingthe' strainluponthefree I;

ends OfjSaid arms.

It isfevidentfrom-the 'foregoing description and the accompanying drawings that when the jawsaresus'pended by thehandlefand the operating member y12 Ais vmoved vto'open the g jaws the adjacent ends Aof the ltog'glo-links lwill automatically moveiby gravity beyond a 5 straight Elinedrawn between 'ithe pivotal conl' ne'ctions of said toggle-links to the arms 9 and that-theadjustingescrew 23 on one of the links will engage the shoulder of the other link and positively lock the jaws in their open position.

A The means for automatically closing the jaws preferably e'onsist's "of opposiiely-arranged spring-arms 24, having corresponding :ends fsecured to the opposite faces of the shank or supportl, and their opposite free ends are engaged with the inner faces of the 'free fendsof -the arms "8 of the jaws, these spring-arms being normally tensioned outwardly I"frein Aeaeh 'other for forcing the jaws toward each other. It is apparent, therefore, that when the intermediate portion of the togglecennectionstrikesan obstruetion :such as ia fish, "said intermediate Lpotion'will be nfve'dt-Oward 'the pivalfc'il'hetin's of the i jaws `beyond 'a straight 1linebetweenfthe A'piv- Irection "with the rms`9,and 'thesprings24 will automatically close said j'aiwswpenthe fish, andtheeejaeont-endsoffthear-rneoilinks of fthe toggle =`c`on"necti'on will ybe forced 4or folded upon the inner facesof the jaws, it bei-ng;nneerepoodihatiwnen mosaici jew-sere folded toward Neneh :other the spurs 10fenter the body o'f the jiish andpositivelyhold said fish from ese-ape.

I-'n the operation of inyiriventin Ivthe operztftng-lefe'r -is -n'OVed 'iin jthe direction lfindicat-ed by the arrow a, thereby forcingthfejaws open, the Etclggle connection tno-vies I-auto'matteeny beyond-#the straigh-tlined rawn'between its pivotal connections withftne yar-inse, there byfholding said-farms i'ntheir-open position, and.:the"operating-lever is th'e'n returned to its inornal position. i(Indicated by 'dotted lines in EFig. T21) 'VV-then desiredvv t'o grap ple a tshf er othersi'm ila'r objectj thefdevicelisfforced 'toward l'-thefo'bje'ct until the sa'me'co'mes in Contact with the intermediate Yportio'n iof the 'toggle-connection, 'fthereby y'forcing the adjaother and'arep'rovided' with `"projecting sho-lilcent ends of the toggle inwardly anit'releasing thejja'ws, jviihfereu-"ponTthesprings'241auto- 'mati'eally 'close "the "j aws fandls'p rs upon the sh.

Thefoperatiep of myfinrvention will ln'o'wbe 'ieadilyu'nderstood np'on reference to theforegoing description fand the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that considerable change may be ma'd'e `in theidetailfconstru ction-an da'rra'n` gem entfof 5t`he= 'parts of my invention without `departing *from 'the'spirit thereof. Therefore I dolnotlifmit myselfito'the `j preciseco'nstrnction andfarrangement herein vsho-wn I'and described. A

l'Ha/vingthus fully described Iny invention, 'what {[claim, and desire Vto secure bylllietters Patent, is A E1. A 'fish -gr'apple comprising 'a ssupport, -jaws "p'ivotally mounted on tthesupp'ortand "provided with "spurs on "their `Vinner faces, means *for-automaticallyclosing the jaws, 'a lever pivotally li'nou'nted lonl thesupportand omleonneetions of thellilnksofsaidtoggieeon- IOO IIO

1o springs for automatically closing the jaws, a

lever pivotally connected to the support, and links pivotally connected to the jaws and to said lever at opposite sides of its pivot.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of October, 1900.

JAMES P. PENNOCK.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, HOWARD P. DENIsoN. 

